Thursday, October 10, 2013

In honor of 'Breast Cancer Awareness' and with support for anyone battling cancer of any kind, I have updated my free quilt, cancer ribbons and other patterns with the addition of links to free patterns for chemotherapy caps, pillows, and breast and arm comfort pouches patterns.

Please remember...it doesn't have to be 'pink' even if many of us use, or mention that color in reference to this cause.

There are many breast cancer survivors are tired of the focus on buying pink and not on helping those who battle this horrible disease or the havoc that it wrecks on their lives.

So, while I am offering links and projects that feature the color 'pink' in honor of the tradition of using the color pink as a symbolic show of support for this terrible disease and the many women, and a lot of men, who have faced its challenges, its ravages, and been heroic survivors, I also want to honor those who do not feel that many of the 'for show' causes out there truly honor or support finding or funding, research for this disease.

Just because a product is pink..and we see pink everywhere now, not just in the month of October....it does not mean that any of the monies from the purchase of that product are going towards actually supporting this cause. Please make sure that monies are going to breast cancer research funding or funding for woman who can not afford health care, screening, etc. and not just for pink products and the businesses that create them. And no...I don't know about this pink garbage can, I am just making a point about pink. This product may actually support the cause and not their own money making cause. I borrowed the image from the blog link below to make a point.

This is a powerful, powerful article written by a breast cancer survivor. Please read it and understand that many, many breast cancer survivors are fed up with the color pink:

And if you don't believe me, do read this article and the very first comment that was left on the blog where a survivor describes how her own insurances company refused to pay for breast cancer treatment.

There is a lot more work that needs to be done is advancing awareness, support, and understanding of what it is truly like to battle this disease. Until then, we do what we know how to do and we use what we are used to using..in my case it was sewing and quilting and the color pink.

When you know better...you do better. May we all learn, grow, and do...better and better.

My mother battled a ferocious case of Inflammatory Breast Cancer in 2002 and 2003 that unfortunately was not caught by a mammogram just one month before. AND it was not caught, by her very good physician who did her breast exam. My mother discovered it, and not because she thought she had cancer. IBC does not appear in the form of a lump that you can feel ..she was simply red and she was worried that the mammogram had 'injured' her somehow and that is the reasons she went back to the doctor. That doctor, bless his heart, realized then what she had and immediately ordered her to head south to Seattle for immediate treatment.

In spite of all of the very negative odds against her, she beat this terrible disease in less than a year.

We had to move her down from Douglas (Island) Alaska to live with me, and my family in Salem, Oregon for her entire treatment of hard core chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and intense radiation. Why? Because the very good hospital and doctors and program in Seattle, did nothing to advance treatment in the two weeks she was there, living in a hotel. Nor in the next two weeks, while I lived in that hotel with them. I brought them to Salem with me, when that new doctor took a three week vacation as scheduled and no new doctor was assigned to her to speed her process up. I think she saw this elderly diabetic lady with advanced Stage 3b ICF, and figured at that point what was the rush?

Even my brother (who is a doctor) said she wasn't going to make it and that there was no way in the world I'd be able to 'get her' to go through chemo, surgery, and radiation.

Well, she did all three of those and never, ever threw up, got sick, or went into any kind of horrific depression as my family expected. With her in the best place I could help her be in, with my dad by her side supporting her, and with me as her primary cheer leader..she did it all.

She beat this terrible disease, went onto many good years, long past her 5 year milestone, and made it until her 10th. Unfortunately, she also battled diabetes, and an intense family history of Alzheimer's Disease and after 8 years of battling Alzheimer's, she just recently passed away. But she died from Alzheimer's, ironically cancer free.

In honor and in support, I have just recently updated my huge list of " Free Cancer Awareness and Support" patterns, tutorials, and links.... and some really fun small projects that make wonderful gifts for those battling any illness. And remember, anything with a support ribbon on it makes a great gift, as well. All patterns at their links along the way, below!

Some of my own fun projects, first!

April 2015, my community quilting project given to Mary Lou Weidman as she heals from breast cancer. Made with blocks from quilters all over US and Canada and designed, then put together by Michele Savikko Bilyeu of Salem Oregon www.with-heart-and-hands.com

These are also wonderful for those recuperating from chest surgery of any kind, as one does after Cardiac Surgery etc. See, my pieced pillows ormake your own from solid fabric or fleece using my link above.

This shape is wonderful for placing under and around the surgical area!!!

My Prayer Flags: The simplest of prayer flags, made with raw edges of fabric and strings to flutter in the winds of time. Inkjet printing on my home computer...link to the right in my side bar of links.

.Prayer flags are meant to be unfinished and imperfect..just like our own lives. And they are meant to be light so they can flutter and float as
the winds carry our prayers to all corners of this world and beyond.

Other links and tutorials that I have created that can be useful for patients or as gifts or gift bags:

Diane Volk Harris writes about this quilt block on her Quiltmaker's Quilty Pleasurees blog. It spurred
some debate in the breast cancer community, as some women who have lost
one or both breasts prefer no reminders but others see as a wonderful
reminder of breast cancer prevention and many women like you simply see
it as great fun and not a reminder of what they have lost but of the
'support' they have received.

This
Cancer Awareness Ribbon quilt block is a foundation pieced pattern.
The block isn't difficult to make, but it does contain long triangles
that can be a little tricky to align on the foundation the first couple
of times.Designed by Janet Wickell.

Patchwork Hearts Quilt Block and Quilt PatternsAbout.com
Forum members designed this pretty 6" heart block for a 2008 swap,
and it's a natural for a Thinking Pink, for a loved one's Valentine's
Day wallhanging or baby quilt. The block is assembled with quick
piecing techniques.

In the Pink by Sarah Wise from Popular Patchwork online:

Paper-Pieced Pink Ribbon: designed by Carol Doakfor
Mimi Dietrich's Pink Ribbon Quilts book back in 1999 and made
available by Carol for others to use as a free download.The block is
made in two halves to make a 6" finished block

The crossed ribbon has become the symbol for support of many causes. The
pink ribbon symbol supports breast cancer awareness. This block shows
both love and support by having the ribbon placed inside the heart.
The pdf file is a 3" finished size paper-pieced block (two on a page)
and the second page contains the cutting list for one block. This
block is for personal use only.

In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Connecting Threads has available a free tutorial to make paper-pieced Pink Ribbon Pins.Help
raise awareness by sewing this simple quilted ribbon for your family,
co-workers, and friends. Two sizes are available: large pin is 3″ x 4″
and the small pin 2 1/4″ x 3″.

During Breast Cancer Awareness month, we see pink ribbons everywhere, and most of us know that this color represents breast cancer awareness.But you might not be as familiar with the other ribbon colors that are used to promote awareness for the other cancers.

It's just as important to remember all of those we love, who face challenges from other forms of cancer, and to create not only increased awareness for those diseases...but to create comfort quilts or pillows for them,as well.

Nancy's Notions provides a number of free patterns as part of the Creative Kindness program. One of the patterns is for this Easy Hat. You can download the pattern (pdf format) here.

HeadHuggers.org

This website
provides a wealth of patterns. What started as a small effort by Sue W.
Thompson has ballooned into a large volunteer project. Visit her website for sewn, knit and crochet hats and other creative ideas.

Drain holders which can be used whenever drains are necessary. Mastectomy pillows
(scroll down to see them) are placed between the arm and the body to
alleviate pain at the incision site by applying gentle pressure with the
pillow.

8 comments:

Wow, that's quite a huge resource list, thanks so much for sharing. I haven't quilted in years or sewn for all of that but I'm going to try your string prayer pocket heart. So many in need of some comfort and a little prayer.

Thank you for sharing all this wonderful information. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer this past April. I am fine now. Early detection, and I have completed all my treatments. I feel blessed to have come through as well as I have. I will be trying some of these patterns you have shared with us. I had the love and support of my husband and family. I am sure that is what helped your mom do as well as she did too; the love and support of your family. Thanks again for sharing all this with us!

Thank you for sharing all these resources. My mother died from colon cancer. My father died from Alzheimer's. My sister-in-law battled breast cancer a year and a half ago and recently was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. This lung cancer is very atypical and so far all they can do is radiation treatments. They did do surgery to remove as much of the two masses as they could and are continuing the radiation treatments. If she is strong enough after the radiation treatments, they will start her on a chemotherapy regimen.

I know so many who are battling cancer and other deadly diseases. I am going to commit to making some prayer pocket pillows and prayer flags. .

Again, thanks for your encouragement and all the free resources you provide.

Rita, there is no single color that stands for all cancers. The 'color' that is used is simply called multi-colored and the meaning of that is up to the individual. I have seen rainbow fabric used for quilts but that doesn't carry any special significance unless you say combine it with in a cancer ribbon shape and/or a ribbon shape(s) that could be placed with a colorful quilt with lots of the above colors..even scrappy quilts would work with this idea. More and more people are buying and using pink products and pink in quilts simply because it is the most well known symbol for cancer. When anyone wears a lot of pink or uses a lot of pink most people take it to signify that they have battled cancer and perhaps that's why they wear it..they want to share and want to educate. But in any case, multi-colored ribbons and/or any ribbon with a multi-colored quilt or perhaps a rainbow border..but I'd suggest a ribbon somewhere!

Hello ,thank you for sharing .I spent all day putting together a patched ribbon square and had a terrible time getting triangles to match up .I will try the paper pieced square and hope for a better result.When I print out templates should I use special paper or is regular printing paper OK??

Hello Gisele Accords, went I print out patterns or templates I use just printer paper. Also I would like to thank Michele for taking the time to put all the information on the internet. I had lung cancer in the upper right lobe. I had surgery on February of this year 2016. I am happy to say I was lucky, I was a stage 1, the doctor tells me I'm cured. I will still have the scans every 6 months for 2 years. I pray I stay cured.